September is National Attendance Awareness Month, and School District U-46 is excited to kick off the school year with our Every Minute Matters campaign, centered on this year's theme: First Day, Every Day. To celebrate Attendance Awareness Month, all U-46 schools will participate in our first annual Districtwide Grade-Level Attendance Challenge! Throughout September, each grade level's weekly attendance will be tracked to see which grade level earns the highest attendance across the district. The challenge culminates in the recognition and celebration of U-46's top-performing grade level.
Here are the results from the first week of the All-District September Grade-Level Attendance Challenge!
Congratulations to the top 3 finishers from each grade level.
Week 1: September 8th
Gold - Third Grade
Silver - First Grade, Second Grade, Fourth Grade
Bronze - Fifth Grade
Check the Attendance and Absence Management page for winners from the previous week and other attendance resources.
Follow our Parent Teacher Organization on facebook for important updates on all things PTO related!
Today we welcome our pre-school students for their first day of school! It is so great to have our littlest Huskies in the building!
Join us in the Illinois Park School library on Wednesday, September 2nd for a PTO meeting!
Traffic flow for arrival and dismissal. Parent drop off and pick up are RIGHT TURN IN, and RIGHT TURN OUT ONLY. Adults should stay in the car and only unload/load students when directed by staff members (near the exit). Only staff members and school/daycare buses will be allowed to enter the parking lot.
Our building staff has been working hard to prepare our school, classrooms and outdoor spaces to be ready for the start of the year. Our excitement is growing and we are less than a week away from welcoming students into our school! Get ready to Howl!
Playdate with the Principal was a great way to kick off our year! Big thank you to PTO for providing the parent First Day Survival Kits!
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Sarah Nelson - Early Childhood Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-Working with my new co workers in a new environment
Favorite children's book?
-Press Here by Hervé Tullet
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-I recently got two cats! I was always a dog person, but now I understand the love for cats! Their names are Cinco and Opie!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- Be yourself! We can't wait to meet you.
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Jenn Beucler - 2nd Grade Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I am so excited to meet everyone and to start this new chapter at Illinois Park! I just know this year will be filled with laughter, learning and so much fun!
Favorite children's book?
-I have so many favorite books, but the two that are always in my top ten are When You Dream Big by Peter H Reynolds and The Smart Cookie by Jory John.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-We have one dog named Reagan. He is a 13 year old schnauzer mix that we have had for about three years. Ray does not like strangers but loves to bark at squirrels, relax in the sun and toss the pillows off the couch.
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-My advice would be to just be yourself! This is the start of a new adventure for all of us. Be yourself, come with an open heart and be ready to have a fabulous year!
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Olivia Masi - 4th & 5th Grade Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
- I’m most excited for everyone to have a fresh start and to meet new students to love
Favorite children's book?
-The Monster At the End of This Book
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
- I have a dog named Charlie who is 14 years old and he’s a Jack Russel Terrier rescue!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- Try to give someone you don’t know a compliment, it always starts you on the right foot and makes someone smile!
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Graciela Vences - 1st Grade Dual Language Teacher
Introducing Graciela Vences - 1st Grade Dual Language Teacher
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Carol Fraser - School Nurse
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I am most excited to meet new staff and students this year.
Favorite children's book?
-My Favorite Children’s book is George and Martha
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-We have two guinea pigs names Barbie and Bluey
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-My advice is “ friendship grows when we share a smile and kindness”
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Laurie Forsberg - Attendance Secretary
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Nancy Perez - DL Science and Digital Literacy Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
- I am excited to get to meet and know all of our new huskies as well as everyone that I will be working with this school year!
Favorite children's book?
- My current favorites are Watercress by Andrea Wang and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and Winifred Conkling.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
- I have a dog named Robin! She is a 7-year-old Beagle and Doberman mix who enjoys napping all day and eating endless amounts of treats!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- I would tell students that it is okay to be nervous. It is a new school, new friends, and new teachers. Ask questions and be yourself! We are all in this together!
Kindergarten Playdate Alert!
Join us this summer for a special playdate at Wing Park. Let your future kindergartener enjoy the playground, meet their future classmates, and connect with our school community. Save the date: August 19 @ 5:00 PM (raindate August 20). Illinois Park’s staff looks forward to meeting you and your child!
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Lisa Kincaid - Cross Cat Resource Teacher
I’m most excited about getting to know our students and staff, & working together to make an IL Park a great place to be!
My favorite children’s book is Charlotte’s Web.
We have one dog, a border collie named Elvis.
For the first day of school I’d tell students to smile, take a deep breath, and know our staff is all here for you.
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Ruddy Almanza - Secretary to the Principal
What are you most excited about this school year?
- To meet all the new students & staff and also seeing all the familiar faces return.
Favorite children's book?
- Love You Forever
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
- Sadly no pets yet!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- It’s okay to be nervous, trust me we all are! Just be yourself and remember to always smile!
Meet the Pack!
Nora Neri - Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
What are you most excited about this school year?
-This year, I am most excited about joining a new school community and collaborating with a fresh, inspiring group of students and colleagues.
Favorite children's book?
-My favorite children's book is any book from the Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly series. It's such a great way to get the littles interested and expanding their communication skills in a playful manner.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-I have one cat, her name is Mia. She was featured for the month of April in the Paw Print Store's cat calendar this year.
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-The advice I would give students on their first day of school is: the challenges you face here will teach you lessons that no textbook can ever print. When things get difficult, don't walk away. The hard days aren't roadblocks. They are where you do your deepest growing.
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Katie Csapo - Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-Being apart of the transition from the old I’ll kid park to the new Illinois park and meeting all the new staff and students.
Favorite children’s book
- Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-Nope, but I am an excellent dog sitter
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- Everyone else is nervous too, even if they don’t look like they are!
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Rosalia Cornejo - ELL Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I am most excited to meet all of my new students, build positive relationships with them and their families, and watch them learn, grow, and gain confidence throughout the school year.
Favorite children's book?
-As a child, some of my favorite books were the Amelia Bedelia series and Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine. I loved the humor in Amelia Bedelia and the fun, spooky adventures in Goosebumps.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-Yes! I have a very social pet bird. He loves interacting with the family and spends time flying freely around our home. He has a fun personality and always keeps us entertained.
What advice would you give students on home visit?
-Come ready to smile, play, and make new friends! We are going to have a wonderful first day together.
